It Takes Time
by Neverland's Heroine
Summary: Kara couldn't be happier when she finally got the chance to move from her snowy home in the South, to the big city known as Republic City. But when Equalists begin to cause trouble, friendships are tested, alliances are formed, and love finds it's way, even if it's with the one person Kara once thought she couldn't stand. This is her story. Tiny Bolin/OC, Tahno/OC a bit AU at times
1. Chapter 1

_It Takes Time_

Chapter One – Republic City

**Author's Note – Hello, everyone! \^.^/ This is a Tahno/OC story, with slight Bolin/OC. This follows canon, but very loosely, since this story surrounds Kara's, my OC, story in Republic City, not Korra. Besides, who wants to read a story that's basically the show but in text? No me, that's boring!**

Kara was brimming with excitement as the vast city known as Republic City approached her quickly. She couldn't believe after all these years of waiting for this moment, it was finally here.

Kara was from the Southern Water Tribe. She was moving to Republic City to live her brother, Shaozu, after two years of being separated from one another, since he moved to the big city. Shaozu was only eighteen when he took the big step of moving here to pursue his dream to be a pro-bender, and ever since then, Kara was eager to follow him here, to establish her own life here, alongside him. Now, two years later, Sona was the age of eighteen, which means she was finally able to move and do as she wanted, like now.

Although Kara was looking forward to moving into the big city, she didn't like leaving her mother back at their icy home alone. There was her father Shanza, of course, but since he was a Firebender that worked closely to the Fire Lord, the majority of his time was stationed respectively at the Fire Nation. But, Kara knew her mother would be fine since Kyra traveled around the world, healing the wounded, teaching the arts of healing to young waterbenders, and of course there were her two best friends, Katara and her daughter, Kya. Sona inherited her waterbending skills from her mother, along with being a great healer and waterbender.

Kara's ship was about to dock, and her excited grew to a whole new level as people shuffled off, clutching their bags and suitcases. Kara held the two suitcases in both her hands as she hurriedly followed the crowds of all earth, fire, water and non-benders off the ship, and onto Republic City soil.

Kara scanned the crowds of people in hopes of seeing Shaozu waiting for her, like he said he would be. She spent almost twenty minutes searching for him through the thick crowd, but couldn't find him anywhere. She was growing weary and worried, since she didn't have a clue where he lived in such a big place, or where to even go. She was about to give up hope when there was a light tap on her shoulder. Kara turned around, to be greeted by no other than Shaozu.

"Shaozu!" She screamed as she jumped into his outstretched arms, elated to finally see him after so long. Shaozu was just as happy, clutching her in his muscular arms and twirling her around, before finally letting her go.

"Wow, you have gotten really buff!" Kara exclaimed as Shaozu released her from his death grip; both of their faces plastered with big grins.

"And you aren't the little teenager I once knew two years ago! I almost didn't recognize you!" Shaozu retorted as he picked up her two suitcases that she had let fall to the ground. Kara grinned at the compliment, feeling more mature and womanly than ever before. Maybe it was the thought that she was now officially an adult, she really didn't know.

"Well, you're still the same old Shaozu. You practically haven't changed a bit, besides the fancy hair and the buff-ness," Kara replied, lightly poking her brother in his toned chest.

Shaozu resembled their father much more than Kara or their mother, while Kara was almost the complete opposite. The only resemblance the siblings really had in common was their bright blue eyes, and their pale skin. Kara resembled Water Tribe more, but had her father's blue black hair, which she wore short, with its own natural waves. Shaozu on the other hand, had brown hair that he now wore more elegantly, and was much taller than she had last seen him.

"Well, I've been working out a lot over the past couple of years. Pro-bending has had me on the edge." Shaozu replied dramatically, acting as if her suitcases were weights, lifting them up and down, flexing his arms as he did so. This caused Kara to giggle, happy all around to finally be here with her goofy brother.

"Come on, I can't wait to show you the city! But first, let me take you to my place, or your new home, I should say." Shaozu said as he led her away from the docks and to the busy street. Shaozu showed her how to hail a sato-cab, before letting Kara slide in, with Shaozu following after.

Kara wasn't used to being in such a place like Republic City, though, she wasn't totally un-acknowledgeable. Kara also grew up at the Capitol in the Fire Nation, when she wasn't in the Southern Water Tribe. So, it wasn't like she hadn't been in a city before. But, Republic City was much more unique, large, and vast than any other city in the world, and Kara couldn't wait to explore it.

The ride to Shaozu's apartment wasn't too long, since it was just several blocks away from the docks. Shaozu led Kara up two flights of stairs and down a hallway, before standing in front of a door with the numbers '206'ingraved into it, below a peep-hole.

"Now, I was hoping you would work some 'womanly charm' around here or something, since it has been a bachelor's house for the last two years or so. I'm not the neatest person in the world, you know." Shaozu laughed as he slid the key into the keyhole, twisting it around until the door unlocked. He threw the door open, and revealed his small and comfy living space.

"Home, sweet home!" Shaozu exclaimed, shutting the door behind him, while Kara walked around the premises, taking notice of her new living arrangements. It wasn't too bad, just some dirty dishes here and there, and dirty clothes thrown about. Nothing she couldn't fix. She knew she would probably find her own place soon anyways, but until then, this was going to be where she lived, and she intended on keeping care of it.

The apartment was a two-bedroom fortunately, with one bathroom to share. Shaozu had his own bedroom at the end of the hall, while Sona's new bedroom was right next to the laundry room, with the bathroom across from her room. Luckily, Shaozu already had a spare full-bed placed in there, along with a spare dresser, for her convenience.

"I know it isn't the best and all…" Shaozu began, before Kara sent him a glare, silencing him.

"Stop it! I love it, okay? It's perfectly fine until I find a place of my own." Kara reassured with a smile, before shooing her older brother away, so she could change into something a lot less hot and thick. She had on traditional Southern Water Tribe clothing and furs, which was made thick to protect from the cold. The weather outside here in the city was in the high-sixties, so Kara was practically sweating. Luckily, Kara had packed her Fire Nation clothing along with her, which was much more revealing then her regular clothing, but it wasn't too much of a big deal. Kara had money she had been saving for a long time now, so she would be shopping soon for more suitable clothing. Her Water Tribe clothing will come in handy with the winter approaching, but until then, she needed to shop.

Kara decided on a thin red shirt, which was long sleeved. That way, it was warm, but it wasn't overbearing. She then wore black fitted bottoms, which she tucked into black boots that had a small heel, deciding she was just about ready. Her hair was perfectly fine, falling in waves around her face, barely touching her shoulders, like always. And with that being said, she was ready to leave with Shaozu.

Shaozu showed her around the city for the rest of the day, happy to finally share all of this with his sister. He knew how much she has wanted to come here to Republic City, from all the times he was in touch with her. Kara luckily caught on quickly on the many different districts of the city, and how to get to certain important places, which surprised Shaozu, but also made him relieved. He was worried she would be lost in the city, but fortunately, she wouldn't need his help with that. And there were many friendly people in the city, so he knew she would ask for help when needed.

So, after finishing walking through the city park with her, where they fed the turtle-ducks, (which is one of Kara's and Shaozu's favorite things to do in the Fire Nation, since the turtle-ducks were common there) Shaozu suggested that they go out to eat, which Kara agreed to happily.

"What are you in the mood for?" Shaozu asked as the two siblings walked down the street, passing by many restaurants and sky scrapers. The sun was sinking into the horizon, meaning that their long day of touring would be soon ending, and their night would soon begin. Kara couldn't decide on what she was craving, so she told Shaozu to lead her away to whatever he wanted.

"Well, my favorite place to eat just so happens to be a water-tribe restaurant, but I know you want to try something different, so let's go here." Shaozu murmured as he turned Sona to a restaurant labeled 'Kama's Noodles and Seafood'.

The siblings were sat down and handed menus, which Shaozu looked over rather quickly, before already knowing his order. He came here quite often so he knew what was on the menu, and what he was craving. Kara however, was very indecisive, and couldn't decide on an order for more than thirty seconds. After struggling for fifteen minutes on deciding what to eat, she finally agreed on spicy noodles with steamed vegetables. Kara was a vegetarian, so it was sometimes hard to pick out something suitable to eat.

"Sorry." Kara apologized sheepishly as their food finally arrived, while Shaozu simply laughed it off. "Don't worry about it. It was quite funny actually, watching you change your mind over and over again."

"Har-Har. Nice to know I amuse you. Anyways, when are you going to tell me about your pro-bending team? Are you guys good?" Kara asked, causing Shaozu to stop slurping his noodles, and plaster an arrogant smirk on his pretty face.

"Of course we are! Haven't you heard of the White Falls Wolfbats? We're practically famous!" Shaozu exclaimed, causing Kara to choke on her water, which she just so happen she was drinking at the moment.

"Are you serious? Shaozu, famous!?" Kara croaked, choking down her water, before bursting out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Shaozu asked, confusion written on his features.

"Sorry, I just find that hilarious! Are your two team-mates just as funny and arrogant as you?" Kara asked with a smile, while Shaozu just smirked at her.

"You will find out soon, I guess. The two guys might be hard to get along with at first, well, maybe not Ming, but I think you will like them." Shaozu said, just as their waitress reappeared, refilling their drinks.

The two siblings than decided to order a dessert to share, carrying on with their conversation, on almost everything and anything. They sat there for forty-five minutes after finishing their dessert, caught up in their deep conversation, until the topic came about on how Kara wanted to look for a job tomorrow.

"You don't have to. I make a good amount ofmoney from pro-bending, since we are a high-ranking team, and win a lot-"

Kara cut him off. "No, I want to! How am I going to find a place of my own without a job? I'm a healer; I can surely find a job somewhere, where I can heal people and things like that. I learned straight from Mom, and Katara; who is the best healer in the world!" Kara exclaimed, while Shaozu let out a sigh.

"If you say so." Shaozu replied evenly.

They soon finished their dinner, and headed back to the apartment. Kara unpacked the rest of her things, while Shaozu on the other hand took a shower. Before bed, he popped into his sister's room one last time.

Shaozu told her he had an early Wolfbat practice in the morning, and that it would last until the early afternoon. He handed her a slip of paper with the address of where they would be practicing, just in case she wanted to show up, before saying goodnight.

Kara was finished unpacking her bags and a few other things just minutes after her brother said goodnight, so Kara decided to then take her own shower, before laying down. It didn't take long for her to fall into a deep slumber, happy about today, and excited for tomorrow.

Author's Note – So, tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Ups and Downs

* * *

Kara awoke with a bright light streaming from her window and onto her face, signaling a new day has arrived. Kara smiled as she stretched out her limbs, feeling well-rested from her night-long sleep. She didn't get much of it on the week long boat-ride here to Republic City, but now, she was ready for the day.

Kara searched the apartment for Shaozu, but saw that he had already left for early morning practice with the other two Wolfbats. The waterbender sighed as she made a bowl of 'Kingdom Rocks', a chocolate flavored cereal shaped like rocks, inspired by the Earth Kingdom, fittingly. After eating, Kara decided to tidy up her new home a bit. She did the dirty dishes and loaded the laundry, so the place would be, or at least look, a bit tidier than it had been before. Kara then decided that she would work on the apartment later, and she should get ready for the day ahead of her.

Kara stood in front of the mirror in the shared bathroom, looking through her brother's belongings until she found a comb. She found herself laughing as she ran the comb through her dark colored hair, thinking about how her brother has changed into a 'girly-boy', unlike the 'tough and manly' Shaozu back in the Water Tribe. Republic City has changed him over the last two years; but luckily, it wasn't for the worse.

Kara finished with the rest of her hygiene, such as washing her face and brushing her teeth, before heading for the closet to change out of her pajamas and into more suitable clothing.

Kara decided to wear a light-blue shirt that had fine detailing all along the sleeves and chest area, along with a wraparound, matching split skirt, which was worm over light brown wool bottoms. She felt comfortable and casual, and perfect for walking around the city. She then slipped on her favorite brown fur boots, along with her wallet and paper Shaozu gave her with the address of where they would be practicing, before she headed out the apartment and into the city. She was thankful that Shaozu thought ahead and made her a key of her own to the apartment, so she didn't have to worry about being there at the same time as one another to get inside.

Once Kara had joined the crowd of people walking along the sidewalks, she watched the satomobiles pass by peacefully, along with the people from all kingdoms, tribes, and nations making their way around together in harmony. That wasn't common in the Water Tribe, since the majority of it's people were just about _all_ waterbenders; but, Kara preferred _this_ variation a lot more. This brought up memories of stories a family friend, known as Katara, had told her when she was little. They surrounded the One Hundred Year War, and how the Fire Nation tried to take over the world. But, Katara, Aang, (The previous Avatar) her brother Sakka, along with many of their friends saved the world, and brought peace to all of the nations. She found it funny how that was only just seventy years ago, and now, here she was. Her father and brother was a firebender, and her mother was a waterbender. She was born into a multicultural family, which was practically unthinkable back then.

Kara then thought long and hard as she moved aimlessly through the crowds of people about many things, but they mostly consisted about how she knew nobody here in the city, with the exception of her brother. She had friends back at the South, but now, she was utterly alone. Kara was very happy to finally be here after years of waiting and saving money, but now, she felt empty. She needed a friend. But most of all, she missed one of her closest friends, Korra. She was the new Avatar, so she was almost always busy with training, so it wasn't like they were around each other too much. Korra was mostly tucked away at the Compound, only leaving it for short periods of time. But, Korra brought different aspects of bending to the South, and Kara loved watching Korra practice different bending from her own. She always found it fascinating. Sona was a waterbender, but Korra could bend _all_ elements.

Deciding it was time for her to stop dwelling on the negatives and to start getting down to business, Kara began to head into various stores and businesses, to see if they were hiring. She went everywhere; stores, restaurants, shops, and businesses with high hopes, but most of the time she was shot down on the spot. At several places she was able to fill out paper work, but she had a feeling that it wasn't going to work out for her. But, she did it anyways, just in case. Even though she was feeling slightly down, Kara wasn't going to give up just yet. She wasn't ignorant enough to think it was super easy getting a job anywhere, and she knew it required effort, especially in such a crowded place like Republic City.

But, you can only get shot down so many times before you begin to lose hope. Saddened and feeling lonely, Kara decided she should trade in her Southern Water Tribe money in for Yuans, the Republic City currency, and do some shopping. She needed a pick me up, and this was something she was really looking forward to when heading here to the city. So, Kara got her hefty sum of Yuans, and headed into the stores.

_**..~**~..**_

Kara had bought _a lot_. Much more than she had originally thought she would, at least. But, Kara had the money, so why not? She didn't really get to shop when living back at the Water Tribe, so with the chance, why not take it? She saved up for years doing odd jobs around the town, and in the end, it has paid off _nicely_.

Kara bought various shirts, bottoms, dresses, shoes, jackets, makeup, etc.; enough to almost entirely fill her empty closet. She felt fulfillment, happy to spend the money she had saved over the years for this exact purpose.

Weighed down with bags, but lifted up with happiness, Kara gleefully hailed a sato-taxi and read the driver the address Shaozu gave her, hoping the Wolfbats were still at practice. She was really looking forward to meeting them, since they were Shaozu's best friends, and 'famous' around the city, as he put it. Once the driver dropped her off in front of the building that belonged to the address, she looked at it in curiosity, and awe.

The building looked quite fancy and done up, so Kara entered, to see it was a building for pro-bending teams, and other benders to practice and train. Kara gave word to the receptionist that she was here to see her brother, Shaozu, who was a member in the White Falls Wolfbats. At first the young woman didn't believe her, saying that they get that all the time, which confused Kara. Maybe Shaozu was telling the truth when he said they were 'famous'? Kara had always known that Shaozu was a ladies' man, but dang, was this something else.

It didn't take too long for Kara to become angry after a while, before demanding the woman to get the team on the phone. The receptionist could see the anger in Kara's features, and almost began to feel slightly frightened. She was tempted to call security, but decided against it, thinking it wouldn't hurt to see if this girl was telling the truth or not.

Soon realizing what Kara said was indeed true; the receptionist pointed Kara to the room where the Wolfbats practiced. She gave her upmost apologies, and wrote down in her system that the next time Kara came, she was allowed in without a problem.

So, Kara made her way to the practice room, still clutching the dozens of bags in her hands, wondering what to think about meeting her brother's teammates.

* * *

Author's Note – So, this wasn't the most interesting chapter, but it's just setting up the plot a little more I guess. Thanks for reading, and the kind reviews.


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